Past Seasons

2018, Spring

February 1 | Christian Schluender

The design of hardware is complicated; designers are responsible to make it meaningful. But, what does it take to make a product from that great design? This presentation will navigate the path from design and requirements to scaled manufacturing, supply chain and inventory management, kitting and fulfillment, through to planning tools toward revenue generation.

Christian is the General Manager of PCH Lime Lab, a division of PCH, which delivers engineering, packaging, and product management services, working with brands that are passionate about design, brand and the customer experience.

Christian is part of the leadership team, and as GM is responsible for day-to-day operations, delivering results at the highest level of customer satisfaction all business units, as well as insuring the relevance, evolution and application of PCH’s offering, value proposition, and product solutions lead the meaningful realization of hardware at scale.

Christian brings over 20 years of product development, creative leadership and technical skill and experience to his role, and has worked in a creative and industrial design capacity with such companies as John Deere, Nike, Thales/AirBus, Motorola, Kodak, Tivo, Disney, Thales/Magellan, Logitech and Maxtor.

Before joining PCH in 2014, Christian held senior roles at frog design, including Creative Director of Industrial Design, GM of Bay Area studios, and Vice President responsible for building new creative studios and offerings in Europe and Asia.

February 8 | James Tsai

How do we as design professionals and design students reinvent ourselves to thrive in this fast changing design marketplace. James will be sharing his career journey after school and real life lessons with vivid examples.

Respected for his pragmatic creativity, award-winning industrial designer, James Tsai, is Nytec’s design visionary. Tsai is responsible for leading Nytec's talented cross-disciplinary creative team, driving all creative aspects for Nytec's projects, and ultimately responsible for the design quality of every product that Nytec produces. Before joining Nytec, Tsai led the industrial design strategy at Microsoft for webcam, ergonomic line of PC hardware, and multiple generations of Surface input devices that shipped across the world in millions of units. Previously, Tsai was an industrial design program manager at One & Co/ HTC, where he contributed in product roadmap planning, design strategy, and concept development through manufacturing. James has won some of the most prestigious global design awards from Red Dot, Wirecutter, IDEA, The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, People’s Choice Award at the Ergo Expo and CNET’s Most Beautiful Products.

February 15 | Eddie Yang

Before there were curriculums and schools that taught character design, special FX Make-up, and visual FX, everything was based on gut instinct, “feeling”, and trial and error. This is my journey through that era and how I learned to learn.

Eddie Yang has been working in the film industry for over 25 years, creating characters for such films as: R.I.P.D, Iron man, Avengers, The Amazing Spiderman, and more.

Eddie started his career as a sculptor/designer for Academy Award winning make-up effects artist Rick Baker in 1987. During that time, Eddie worked on dozens of projects including: Men in Black I & II, The Nutty Professor, The Grinch, Planet of the Apes, and Mighty Joe Young to name a few.

After a 16 year career with Rick, Eddie pursued a career in digital effects, working on visual effects for films such as Sky Captain World of Tomorrow, Fantastic Four, and Eight Below. At the Stan Winston Studio in 2003, he had a hand in some of the decade’s biggest movies, including: Avatar, Iron man, and Indiana Jones 4.

Eddie started the Eddie Yang Studio in 2007 designing creatures, specialty costumes, and production art for several feature films including Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel, and Robocop 2014. He teamed up with Steve Wang to create Alliance Studio in 2013 and has worked on many projects for Blizzard Entertainment and Riot Games in addition to his design work for feature films.

February 22 | Christie Bruno

Your education equips you with the skills you need to be a great designer, but there is another aspect that brings success in the design industry. Similar to school this aspect requires hard work and determination, but there are certain factors that remove the limits of what the standards say you will achieve in a certain number of years. This revolves so much around a person’s mindset and their approach to their career and I will be sharing how to achieve that.

Over the course of my career I have been lucky to design projects in 5 countries and travel to 4 of them to see the process through. My career has taken me all over the US and led to many amazing opportunities in the design industry. I currently run the architecture department at my current office and am the creative director for the entire company. As of this month I will have accomplished my dream and started my own architecture non-profit “Studio 1:9 for Humanity” My very first project with this non-profit will be an approximately 20 acre campus with 8 ground up buildings located in Santo Tomas Mexico. This is a desolate area where most residents are farmers and running water and electricity are not common. This campus will include a K-12 school, community center, 3 homes, volunteer dorms, training facilities for the locals, church, soccer field, playground, and more. I will be responsible for the design of the entire project inside and out and will be co-managing along with the contractor.

Ultimately all of this was achieved through hard work and the right mindset which is what led me to accomplishing my dreams very early in my career. We all have goals and in our industry it’s important to put in the work, but that doesn’t determine when you achieve your goals only how you achieve them.

March 1 | Robson Splane

Designer Robson Splane will briefly share his company’s history and his views on how designers are worth much more than they think. He’ll explain how he’s evolved his career and companies from an $8/Hr. staff designer to freelancer, consultant, licensor and eventually manufacturer & marketer of his own products on T.V. Included in the talk he’ll discuss both the up-sides and the mistakes he’s made.

Robson L. Splane Jr. IDSA, BA, MA, MA, MFA (Equiv. PhD), founder of Splane Design Associates, Inc., Careapeutics (SD & Mfg. Inc.), and DreamProjX-Arise, Inc.; author of DreamProjX. A designer of over 35 years and former professor of design at UCLA, CSU Northridge, and CSU Long Beach, Robson Splane has been named on 70+ domestic, 20+ international patents and has had work featured in numerous books, magazines, galleries, and museums.

Splane’s work in the DR (infomercial) market has resulted in several hits. Some of his individual designs each grossed sales in excess of $.5 Billion internationally.

Working his way through Grad. school aboard sailing vessels in the West Indies half of each year he eventually became an alumnus of California State University at Northridge and CSU Long Beach and completed some of his graduate work while studying at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He then went on to pursue self directed studies in Europe and then to open businesses in California where he specialized in working on over 300 medical, Rehab. and wellness projects. Robson continues to head Splane Design Associates’ new product incubator, as well as DreamProjX’s research & development, overseeing design, engineering, prototyping and vendor supervision.

March 8 | Walter Hood

Thursday, March 8, 7:00-9:45pm
On the Plaza, University Art Museum, CSULB (A Collaboration with the University Art Museum)

Hood Design Studio

Art + Fabrication + Landscape + Urbanism

Please join us for a lively lecture and question and answer session with one of the most influential landscape architects working today. Walter Hood’s studio defines itself as a cultural practice committed to a diverse public realm. From art objects to landscapes encompassing the urban field, Hood’s work is always attentive to place, people, and the idiosyncrasies that arise.

Walter Hood is the Creative Director and Founder of Hood Design Studio in Oakland, CA. He is also a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and lectures on professional and theoretical projects nationally and internationally.

About Walter Hood Design Studio
Hood Design Studio is tripartite practice, working across art + fabrication, design + landscape, and research + urbanism. The resulting urban spaces and their objects act as public sculpture, creating new apertures through which to see the surrounding emergent beauty, strangeness, and idiosyncrasies. The Studio’s award winning work has been featured in publications including Dwell, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Architectural Digest, Places Journal, and Landscape Architecture Magazine. Walter Hood is also a recipient of the 2017 Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Award.

March 15 | Wolfgang Joensson

Designers are in charge of the communication between brands and consumers. With this comes the responsibility to decide along which moral guidelines this transfer of information should be done. It is unavoidable for designers to ask themselves questions of ethical nature: What do we do, what should we do and what can we do? This lecture attempts to give advice on how to prepare for a professional, high quality service to clients, consumers and society.

Wolfgang Joensson is a South African born German industrial designer and educator. He lives in Paris, France and Corona del Mar, CA. Throughout his career he has worked with international clients ranging from small startup companies to industrial giants, creating award-winning product, graphic, interface and package design which can be found in shops and museums world wide. He is also the co-founder of a start-up company for sleep technology out of San Diego, CA, and a book author. He likes cocktails, cooking, culture and conversation with clever people.

March 22 | Neal Shoemaker & Brian Best

Vans will be discussing how their iconic footwear has evolved since the founding in 1966 and how they stay relevant as well as maintain their roots. They will be reviewing their footwear processes and creative vision that inspire design and creation every day.

Neal Shoemaker works as Footwear Design Director-Skate and Surf while Brian Best is Virtualization Design Manager at Vans a Division of VF Outdoor.

April 5 | Christine and Jerry van Rooy

Our choices allowed us to design the life we wanted to live. Defining our priorities, even if they were far from the norm. Creating a thriving business powered by those priorities. When we were building our business, we found it very difficult to find people that were well informed and willing to answer our questions. Because of that, we take every opportunity to mentor, guide, and assist aspiring entrepreneurs. This will be an open discussion with guests. Should there be any questions during our conversation, please feel free to ask.

We are VANROOY creative group – creators of memorable environments. Where people are encouraged to be social, invited to be curious, and inspired to return. We are a unique design firm based in Southern California that integrates interior architecture and industrial design.

We are intrigued by the influence of design psychology on human behavior. The interaction between people, their space, and the emotions they experience within it. Understanding these influences is fundamental to every design we create. We believe a superior experience is achieved by carefully guiding these emotions. We create formulas specifically tailored to your brand in order to achieve a greater impact with your customers. We are designers, critical thinkers, makers and curators of details; inspired by roaming the globe, all things machined, and the beauty of nature.

Since 2007, the Team behind VANROOY creative group has been assisting their clients build successful iconic brands that make an impact in highly competitive landscapes. Whether it’s a boutique hotel, custom club chair or personal submarine, our approach to design travels far and wide to bring a unique sense of style and engaging experience to every project.

The strength of a design is always in direct proportion to the strength of the details and the people who inspire them.

April 12 | Ric Scott

Come listen and learn from 30 years of design communicating via the perspective of a “wildman toy designer”.

Ric Scott is a passionately creative Industrial Designer with extensive experience in toy product design, consumer electronics, and communication design. Mr. Scott has proven skills in all aspects of product development, from initial research, concept ideation, 3D modeling through 3D printing prototyping, fabrication and manufacturing. He has created products that have generated over $1 billion at retail.

His work includes:

Meccano/Erector Toy Designer - Spin Master

Jet Engine Display Case for Rolex - Moto Art

Stage Design - Marilyn Manson Tour

Inventor-Toys-Games- Disney, Mattel, FP, Jakks

Robot/Dragon Action Figure Design - Massiverse

Lighting Design 3D CAD - Townsend Design

Vehicle/Robot Design Transformers - Hasbro

Game Design- “Chucky Cheese” Games - Five Star Redemption

M&M Candy Toys - Prestige Marketing

Built CAD of Entire 2009 Shoe Line - DC Shoes

Led Brainstorm for Entire 2010 Toy Line - The Learning Journey

Robot Brainstorm/Fabrication Leader - IDEO Palo Alto

Reality TV SHow Contestant/Winner - Monster House

Created/Built Vertical Wall Walking Robot - Smart Works

Featured TV Show-Auto Part Art - HGTV

Toy Design Playhut Inc.

Toy Design - Hot Wheels, Barbie Mattel

April 19 | Christian Bretz and Jessica Villarreal

The State of Virtual Reality and Developing Multiplayer VR Applications

Virtual reality has been called the final medium, because once we are finally able to recreate a world we can live in digitally, whether in realistic or abstract form, what medium could possibly come beyond that? The limitless potential of this technology inspired us to be one of the pioneers of this new industry, with the mission of creating applications that utilize the immersive power of VR while simultaneously giving the user a greater appreciation for the real world.

In this lecture we will discuss how VoyagerVR got started, a brief history of the technology used for VR, the impact VR will have on society, the current state of the VR industry, its potential to transform education, and a behind the scenes look inside how Stonehenge VR and its new multiplayer mode was created.

In addition to the lecture, Stonehenge VR will be on display for guests to experience (limited seating is available).

Christian Bretz

Christian's fascination with virtual reality started in high school when he completely remodeled his entire school in the Quake 2 game engine. Realizing virtual reality technology was still a ways off from being widely available, he instead chose a career in filmmaking as a director, writer, producer and actor. During this time Christian created one of the first viral video short films ever made, and started his own video production company with clients that included NBC Universal, Machinima and Lootcrate to name a few.

Although Christian's focus was on film, he remained an avid gamer and kept himself informed of the latest gaming and tech trends. At the E3 Expo in 2013, Christian had the opportunity to try out an Oculus DK1 and was instantly convinced that this was the future of several mediums, and that VR tech was finally meeting its potential. Not wanting the industry to advance without him, Christian decided to quit film making and dive into the world of VR.

With no gaming development background, Christian taught himself how to program for VR in the Unreal Engine and co-founded VoyagerVR. The company was founded on the idea that virtual reality is a technological breakthrough that can be used for amazing things outside of just entertainment. So, within three months of self teaching he was able to release his first educational experience, Stonehenge VR. This program went on to inspire many users, became a launch title on HTC's Viveport, has been featured in several of the biggest tech, gaming, and entertainment blogs (Variety, CNET, Tech Crunch), and have installed exhibits in two of the most iconic museums in the country: the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA and the Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, KS.

Most recently VoyagerVR was featured in Epic's Unreal Engine Showcase and is currently working on new multiplayer VR experiences featuring multiple historical locations.

Jessica Villarreal

Jessica has been hosting on-air video game coverage since 2005. Starting with All Games Radio, she has lent her talents to the likes of Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment (WBIE), Machinima, Spike TV, GameTrailers, SMOSH Games, What's Trending, Revision3 and appeared as a guest host on G4’s The Feed. She has also hosted internationally in Italy for the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game World Championships, and Japan to cover the live action Ghost in the Shell movie trailer reveal. Jessica's enthusiasm for games went beyond her work with the media as she was also the Co-Creator and Producer of "Best Game Show Ever" on YouTube.

As a Co-Founder of VoyagerVR, Jessica helps run the day to day business development, production, setting strategies, software development and building relationships that shape the company.

April 26 | Carrie Seid

Creativity challenges our identities all day long, daring us to reach beyond our well-worn self concepts. This lecture / workshop will address the ways in which identity can inhibit and enhance creativity, and how to use the Imposter Syndrome to your advantage.

Originally from Chicago, Carrie Seid maintains a full time fine and public art practice at her studio in Tucson, Arizona. She also works with groups and individuals as a creativity facilitator. Her works are made primarily of metal, wood, and silk, and incorporate illumination and pattern investigation to conjure various states of being.

Seid received her B.F.A. from The Rhode Island School of Design in 1984, then went on to receive her M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art, where she was a Merit Scholar. She has taught at numerous universities, including the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Buffalo State University, Arizona State University, and The University of Arizona. Winner of the Purchase Award in 2003, her work is part of the permanent collection of The Tucson Museum of Art where she also had a solo exhibition. In February 2006, her work was featured on "Arizona Illustrated," hosted by Sooyeon Lee of KUAT television. Her public commissions in the Tucson area include the reception area of the Udall Senior Center, five projects at the Northwest Medical Center in Oro Valley, and the glass walkway in the courtyard of the Flowing Wells Community Center.

May 3 | Ziba Esmaeilian and Maysam Ghaffari

Our works are at the extreme of either range from building to human scale wearable and constantly try to understand how does scale effect perception of architecture?

Zimarty founded by Maysam (graduated from Columbia University) and Ziba (graduated form Sci-Arc) in Los Angeles. Our paths first crossed at Sci-Arc in 2012 where we both studied architecture. In school, we collaborated and helped each other on many projects and It turns out we have many of the same dreams and hopes, fears and challenges. As an architecture student we always use human body as the reference point and our perception is shaped by how large or small something is compared to human body. We think a delicate small scale architecture that can fit in your hands have as much as an impact as a building. As a result, our works are at the extreme of either range from building scale structure to human scale wearable and constantly try to understand how does scale affect perception of architecture?

May 10 | Dan Harden

How can designers and design firms consistently create meaningful innovation, year after year? What values need to be championed so that breakthrough thinking occurs almost routinely? What is it like to be a designer in an environment where constant innovation is expected on a daily basis? Case studies will be shared throughout to illustrate topic.

Dan is President, CEO, Principal Designer and cofounder of Whipsaw Inc., a highly acclaimed design firm in San Jose and San Francisco California. Whipsaw designs diverse products and experiences for companies around the world including Brita, Cisco, Ford, GE, Google, Haier, Intel, Leitz, Merck, Motorola, Nike, Olympus, Samsung, Sony, TP-Link and many exciting startups including Blumio, Bossanova, Ekso Bionics, Harry’s, Highfive, Peloton, Tascent and Tile. Dan is the highly active creative force of Whipsaw, where he directs the strategic and conceptual direction of most client accounts. His passion and experience combined with his personal philosophies about art, culture, psychology and technology permeate the work and the brand.

Fast Company magazine selected Dan as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business 2014, calling him “design’s secret weapon”. Fast Company also featured Dan as a “Master of Design” in 2005 and ranked Whipsaw among the top five design firms in the world in 2009. Dan's views and work have also been featured in Abitare, Axis, Business Week, CNN, Domus, Form, Fortune, Metropolis, Newsweek, Time, Wired, and several design books. Dan was inducted into the World Technology Network, a curated membership community in association with TIME, Fortune and CNN that honors those individuals doing “the most innovative work of the greatest likely long term significance”.

Dan has won 265 design awards in his career including many IDEA, Red Dot, iF, MDEA, D&AD, and G-Mark Good Design awards. He has been granted over 300 patents. His work has been featured in the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Museum, The Henry Ford Museum, the Chicago Athenaeum, and the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Prior to cofounding Whipsaw in 1999, Dan was VP and President of Frogdesign where he designed many notable products for luminaries like Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and Rupert Murdoch. Before joining Frogdesign in 1989 he was a lead designer at Henry Dreyfuss Associates. In the early eighties Dan interned with design master George Nelson. He also interned at Hewlett Packard and Richardson Smith (later became Fitch). Dan graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture and Art in 1982.

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Parking

Parking is available at the “Foundation Lot” located on East University Drive, across from the main entrance to the Design building.

The Department of Design at California State University, Long Beach is located at 6241 East University Drive, Long Beach, CA 90815.

For more information on university parking policies and the most current rates, please visit Parking Information.